DORKING’s past will have an updated home in the near future after plans to refurbish the town’s museum were approved.

Several schemes have been proposed for the Old Foundry building in West Street over the past five years, though none have reached the stage of gaining planning permission.

This changed when Mole Valley District Council granted permission for Dorking Museum to be re-roofed, re-faced and turned into a drier and better environment for the artefacts to be stored and viewed.

Previous plans considered by its owner, Dorking and District Preservation Society, were described by the museum’s publicity officer Kathy Atherton as “exploratory” and were held up by a lack of money.

She said: “This time it looks as if it’s going to run, we’ve got the funds. We’re really excited.”

Building contractors have been asked to tender for the work and the building may begin as soon as July. It is predicted to take four to six months so could be finished by December.

The material would then have to be moved back in to the museum. Most has temporarily been stored at Denbies Wine Estate.

This means that the builders will not be the only busy ones in the coming months, as the artefacts are being sorted through and their position planned.

Ms Atherton added: “Previously it was a bit of a hotchpotch of a museum. It was atmospheric, but without a clear focus.

“It will be a museum on Dorking’s history clearly focused on Dorking and the surrounding area and villages. It will show you how Dorking is what it is.

“It will show you things you would never have known or suspected about Dorking, and people who have lived or worked in Dorking.

“We are writing display panels, we’ve got teams of people with expertise in different areas and we’ve got six months now to get all of it arranged.”

The refurbishment will improve the outside and inside of a former industrial building which was seen as poorly constructed and no longer suitable to house valuable historic artefacts, with a leaking roof and little insulation.

A lack of space, poor access and expensive running costs were other problems.

As part of the renovation underfloor heating will be installed, a constant temperature will be maintained and windows will be taken out so the delicate materials are not exposed to natural light and are preserved in the best possible conditions.

A new entrance will be closer to historic West Street and the refurbishment will also allow archives to be stored in the main building rather than in their previous damp home next-door.

There will also be a study room and space for temporary exhibitions.

Anyone wishing to donate to the project or join stewards and other volunteers ready for the reopening, should email kathy.atherton@btinternet.com or call 01306 743752.